The Alpha's pretend mate

chapter 8

AVELORA

I stirred awake, wrapped around a comfy pillow. I snuggled it closer, enjoying the comfiness while it lasted. When did the pillows in the dorms become so comfortable?

The pillow moved, and my eyes shot open. “Morning, mate.” I shuddered. His voice was even deeper in the morning.

I looked down at our intertwined bodies, heat and goosebumps rising everywhere we touched. I was wrapped around him like a damn koala.

This was a mistake.

“I’m sorry, I should have slept on the…” He shuffled off the bed. “Good morning to you too.”

I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “Your bed is so comfortable,” I muttered trying to reduce the tension.

I got up and stood awkwardly by the side of the bed, wondering what I was going to do in a room that isn’t my own. Actually, I had never had a room to myself before.

Alpha Khyrix walked toward me, and as if it was possible, I shrank more into myself.

“You don’t need to act like I’m going to bite you.” He stood in front of me, his face giving nothing away.

“I’ll use the bathroom now. I need to take care of some things.”

Reality hit me the moment he said it.

We had to face everyone today. Unlike him, who was confident and certain of himself, I only had me, my barely noticeable self, about to face the criticism of everyone.

“Be ready when I get back,” he said before disappearing into the large bathroom.

The door closed.

My legs wobbled and I fell onto the bed, reality crashing down after the rush of adrenaline from yesterday.

My mum, what was going to happen to her now?

My father was very violent. Every time he tried to hit me, my mother would always take the blow instead.

I swallowed hard.

My eyes drifted back to the frame on the wall.

It was Alpha Khyrix and the chief priestess. He was smiling while holding an award, while the chief priestess had one hand on his shoulder, her stoic expression never faltering.

I stared harder at her face. Maybe I might remember if I stared long enough.

She had told me, “We met again,” even though I know I had never met her. It was impossible for me to have casual encounters with the chief priestess.

Her voice wasn’t just similar. It was the same as the one I heard every night in my dream. She always said the same thing.

A voice guiding me through the nightmare.

The bathroom door opened, and I turned around. And like every other decision I had made in the past twenty-four hours—I shouldn’t have.

There stood Alpha Khyrix, his hair wet from the shower, droplets of water sliding down his chest. My gaze followed one drop to his abs, then lower, to the noticeable V line the towel was barely hiding.

He had just a towel on.

My cheeks heated up at the realization that I must have been staring at him a little too long. My eyes widened, and I quickly looked away, suddenly very interested in the picture on the wall again.

What is wrong with me?

Before, I wouldn’t have cared if he was standing naked in front of me.

Why was I noticing every single thing now?

He walked closer, and even though he didn’t touch me, I felt the shift in the air as if something invisible had just closed the distance between us.

And somehow, my gaze kept betraying me, going back to stare at his body.

“You’re staring,” he said calmly, his voice steady, almost amused.

“I wasn’t,” I replied too quickly, which only made it worse. A faint smirk tugged at his lips, and for a second I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

He didn’t step back. He didn’t seem embarrassed.

If anything, he looked completely at ease standing there with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, like he was fully aware of the effect he was having on me and had decided to enjoy it.

“You look different this morning,” he said, and this time there was no teasing in his tone. My heart skipped in a way that made me uncomfortable.

“I don’t,” I answered, folding my arms as if that could shield me from whatever he meant.

“You do,” he insisted quietly.

His hand lifted slightly, and for a split second I thought he was going to touch my face. My body reacted before my mind did; I stopped breathing, waiting.

But he didn’t.

His fingers curled back into his palm, his jaw tightening briefly before his hand dropped to his side as though he had changed his mind about something important.

He turned away from me and began getting dressed as if nothing had happened, as if the air between us hadn’t thickened, as if my heart hadn’t just started beating like it was trying to outrun something. I tried to steady myself.

I watched him button his shirt with that calm, unreadable expression.

“I’ll be back.” I hadn’t noticed, but he was already out the door.

I suddenly felt so alone. I did everything to keep myself busy while my mind wandered to the underwear that had been tossed in the trash the night before.

Now that we had this shared living situation, what was he going to do about his female ‘friends’?

I had slept in my clothes last night with the hope that my things would be here by today. I walked into his closet, instantly awed by what I was seeing. I knew he got special treatment, I just didn’t expect it to be that special.

His closet was bigger than the room four of us slept in.

Contrary to my expectations, there were no female clothes in his closet. I grabbed one of his hoodies and quickly threw it on, his scent instantly soothing my frayed nerves. I sniffed the hoodie, then immediately looked around the closet for cameras.

I sincerely hoped he wouldn’t get mad that I was wearing his stuff.

I hadn’t even walked out of the closet yet when the door opened.

“You’re back!” I said with enthusiasm as I closed the closet door. Being alone for two hours had made me extremely bored.

But it wasn’t Alpha Khyrix who opened the door.

I gasped when she lunged at me.